pbr Archives - The Rodeo Round Up

Champions Are Crowned At The 2016 PBR World Finals

November 6, 2016 By Jason Hetland

The time is running down for the top three bull riders in the world to go round after round to contend for the world champion title and for the other 37 to earn some go round and overall event money to take home. Today we are too leaving Las Vegas after bringing you coverage of the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series World Finals. Although we are wrapping things up we could not do it without bringing you all the action from Championship Sunday’s final two rounds live from the T-Mobile Arena.

Last night was a night that the thousands of fans inside of the arena and the millions watching from their homes witnessed history being made and huge story lines that were unfolding before their very eyes. After winning round four J.B. Mauney was the first cowboy to reach the 7 million dollar milestone and Canadian Ty Pozzobon set himself up nicely coming into today to be the first ever Canadian World Finals event winner. Everything comes down to today to see who we crown with the world championships and the overall world finals event win.

Cooper Davis Earns The Top Score In Round Five

Photo Credit: Debbie Anthony

As the action began down on the arena floor for the final day of competition the sold out crowd inside of the T-Mobile Arena were full of anticipation as they all knew what would happen at the end of the day. That being said, before the crowning and celebrations could happen down on the arena dirt there was still two rounds of bull riding action to take place to determine just that. The first would be the fifth and final round that would determine who would be lucky enough to make it into the last Championship Round of the 2016 season.

Today you could feel ,along with the top 40 bull riders in the world, the pain and agony they are bringing with them into the final day here in Las Vegas. Each and every one of these cowboys have been banged and beaten but are fighting through to finish out the event here on the last day. In round five there were a total of 13 qualified rides but only one, Cooper Davis, would be able to call himself the round winner with the top score after eight seconds. Today he would match up with Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Miller’s Catfish John for a score of 91 points to head into the championship round riding on a high as the new number one man in the world!

Complete Breakdown Of Qualified Rides In Round Five Below:

Cooper Davis (91.00) Dakota Buttar (88.25)

Guilherme Marchi(88.00) Eduardo Aparecido (87.75)

Ryan Dirteater (87.25) Marco Antonio Eguchi (87.25)

Tyler Harr (86.75) Wallace Vieira de Oliveira (86.50)

Chase Outlaw (85.00) Stetson Lawrence (84.25)

Kaique Pacheco (81.00) Luis Blanco (71.75)

Joao Ricardo Vieira (70.00)

Ryan Dirteater Wins The 2016 PBR World Finals Championship Round

Photo Credit: Debbie Anthony

After a grueling and taxing five rounds of competition here at the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series World Finals the field was narrowed down to a very select few that would be invited back to the Championship Round. The top fifteen combined scores were tallied and those bull riders with their names next to them were getting ready to compete against each other, either for the World Champion title or the overall Finals event championship title. Either way the action was non-stop thrilling as the top 15 cowboys competed for the 1 million dollars prize money available following the Championship Round!

From the get go the fans inside of the T-Mobile Arena were treated to some intense action as the fifteen contestants atop the event leader board were matched up with the top fifteen bucking bulls from throughout the 2016 season. After all was said and done it would be a total of three of those fifteen that would be able to weather the storm that was brewing to be able to make a qualified ride. After all was said and done it would be the “The Cherokee Kid” Ryan Dirteater that would outlast the other two for the top score after riding D&H Cattle Co/Buck Cattle Co/Bob & Jeri Adams’s Brutus for a huge 89.75 point ride and going a perfect 6-for-6, the only man to do so this year!

Cooper Davis Celebrates His 2016 World Championship

Photo Credit: Debbie Anthony

After all was said and and done and the hundred plus bulls were bucked the sold out crowd inside of the T-Mobile Arena was about to witness history being made once again here this year. The crowning of the world championship titles, both bull rider and bucking bull, along with several other awards was going to take place atop of the shark cage in the center of the arena. Our Rodeo Round Up team was live on the dirt to bring you all of the video action which you can see in the next couple days as we will be bringing you continuing coverage and follow-up stories throughout the weeks coming up.

Once the bulls were put away and the flood gates opened, the arena floor turned into a huge party atmosphere as thousands of fans and media stormed onto the arena floor in anticipation as to what was about to happen. Although the world championship title came down to the last day, and quite figuratively, the last ride of the 2016 season a new world champion was about to be crowned. Tonight was a night that we all were able to award Cooper Davis with a 1 million dollar check, a new Montana Silversmith world championship buckle and the title of the 2016 PBR World Champion!

I was able to catch up with the newly crowned 2016 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series World Champion Cooper Davis following his in arena celebration and award presentations. To say that this young man was lost for words would be a complete understatement but I think everyone can figure out why. After winning the world title, one million dollars and a nice buckle to commemorate your year long efforts I would be over the moon and elated too! Check out what he had to say to me below as we bring you a behind the scenes interview live from the press room inside of the T-Mobile Arena.

Today’s events are something that no one will soon forget as we crowned a brand new world champion after the closet race in the 23 year history of the Professional Bull Riders organization. That being said, along with the world champion we also go to see the world finals event champion Ryan Dirteater being crowned along with 19 year-old Jess Lockwood claiming the rookie of the year title and Chad Berger earning the Stock Contractor of the Year title. All in all it was a full week of festivities that we were honored to be a part of and bring to all of you. Stay tuned for follow up stories regarding the other awards given out along with personal interviews from all those honored on the arena floor today!

It is quite easy to follow all the breaking news and excitement with the Rodeo Round Up simply by copying this website into your favorites in your web browser for easy one-click access to event statistics. You can also like and follow us on Facebook here, or by liking and following us on Instagram at @rodeoroundup and on Twitter at @therodeoroundup. Jason has also made it easy for you to be a part of his interviews by opening up a listener comment line. If you have a question for a certain rodeo star simply call in and leave your name, where you are from, who the question is for and what your question is and he will do his best to get it answered for you during his interviews!

Last Cowboy Standing Round One

May 23, 2015 By Admin

Several years ago, the PBR started to have an event in Las Vegas called “The Last Cowboy Standing“. This was a two-night event, meant more of a calendar filler for the PBR and their partner MGM Resorts than anything else.

Everything Changed!

But if you follow the Professional Bull Riders, you know nothing stays the same for long!! This year they took the entire event and kicked it up a few notches. Ok, maybe more than a few notches! They created a theme around the event, calling it “Cowboy Spring Break”. Then they took it outside and built an entire 3 day weekend of partying around it. Each night, after the bulls left and the dust settled, Montgomery Gentry, Gary Allan or The Band Perry kept the party going well into the night!

Now That’s What We Call: PBR – Vegas Style!

On Friday, the start of it all, we had a mild 5.4 earthquake followed by a little rain. Not your typical Vegas May day, but we survived it all and moved on… Can’t stop the PBR or their fans from having a good time in Las Vegas. Especially with over $180,000 on the line and a pocketful of points to the ultimate winner. The Last Cowboy Standing.

Round 1 of Last Cowboy Standing, Friday, May 22.

Professional Bull Riders (PBR) sophomore Gage Gay and Michael Lane, who notched his first ride on the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) on Friday night, split Round 1 of Last Cowboy Standing at MGM Resorts Village.

Last Cowboy Standing is the second PBR Major of the season, which includes 1.5 times more PBR world points than at a regular BFTS event and an increase in prize money with $180,000 guaranteed to the winner, including the $100,000 Bad Boy Mowers Bonus.

Gay and Lane both posted 88-point efforts atop Recovery Time (Paige Stout Bucking Bulls) and Gentleman Jim (J.A.R.S. Bucking Bulls/Gene Owen), respectively, to receive 120 world points apiece.

Current No. 1 bull rider in the PBR world standings Joao Ricardo Vieira earned 87.5 points on KISS Animalize (Jeff Robinson/B&M Bucking Bulls) to tie rookie Cooper Davis who covered Heavy Dose (Bar 3D Bucking Bulls) for third place. Each rider earned 67.5 points towards the world standings.

Current No. 2 rider in the world Matt Triplett picked up 87 points after making the 8-second whistle on LL Cool J (Tugger X Bucking Bulls/LL Cool J) to round out the Top 5 on the night for 45 world points.

Round 2 of Last Cowboy Standing is on Saturday, May 23.

Last Cowboy Standing is the headlining event of the PBR’s three-day Cowboy Spring Break celebration, which kicks off Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 22, and runs through Sunday, May 24. Surrounded by concerts, pools, water entertainment, volleyball fun, VIP parties and more, Last Cowboy Standing is the central activity taking place within the Monster Energy Cowboy Festival, located in MGM Resorts Village.

Las Vegas is the 18th of 27 stops on the 2015 PBR Built Ford Tough Series schedule. The season will culminate with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 21-25 when the 2015 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most points during the 2015 season, will receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and a $1 million bonus.

Want tickets to the PBR World Finals?? PBR World Final Tickets

Photos: Debbie D Anthony Photography

JB Owned the Night

October 25, 2013 By Admin

Night number one was a settling in and getting the feel of the land. Not good, not bad. Just a “Hello, The PBR is in town.” Night number two was different, it belonged to one man, JB Mauney. Being that he and two-time defending World Champion Silvano Alves ride last set kept the house filled to the very end again! Something you just don’t normally see this early in the battle.

Mauney won Round 2 with 93.75 points on Smackdown and has a commanding but not a solid 6.75-point lead in the Finals average.

J.B. has always been in control of his destiny and his emotions. But many of us in the press pit are commenting on just how focused J.B. is this time. He seems to be more focused than I have ever noticed him to be wife his wife Lexi by his side this entire finals. He even admits that she has made him more grounded than ever and has felt that not only in his riding but his emotions as well.

We all used to see J.B. get angry and throw his bull rope and see that affect the rest of his weekend but now he has gotten in control of those outbursts and also has grown up this year. Instead of throwing his rope and getting angry he now vents and lets it go to focus on the next round and tonight was the milestone of his attitude change.

Coming into tonight he was 173.50 points out of the number one spot in the world and he knew it. With only two rides left in night number two of the 2013 PBR World Finals it came down to himself and Silvano Alves. The entire Thomas & Mack arena were on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would happen at night’s end and it did not disappoint. J.B. climbed aboard his bull and rode to the eight second whistle to a tune of 93.75 points that erupted the crowd in Las Vegas.

Once all the scores were tallied it was J.B. sitting in the number one spot in the world not to mention the number one spot in the overall average thus far. The 20th anniversary of the PBR and the 2013 PBR World Finals are setting records for the closest race in the history of the company.

Its only night number 2! Things will only get much more intense as the nights progress to see who will hoist the championship trophy over their head on Sunday afternoon.

Photo by Tom Donoghue

Say Hello to Crystal Rae Coddington

October 24, 2013 By Admin

The Rodeo Round Up is proud to introduce Crystal Rae Coddington to the team. Jason had asked Crystal to come to the Rodeo Round Up to help co-host events so we can reach further across the U.S. to provide you with more coverage of different events.

She has a long history and past with the Cowboy Lifestyle Network as a field reporter and does a fantastic job for them so Jason thought it would be a good fit to bring her on board. Crystal and Jason will both be covering events around their homes throughout the year and will come together several times to co-host events like the PBR World Finals and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, both in Las Vegas Nevada. Please help all of us at the Rodeo Round Up family in welcoming the very talented Crystal Rae Coddingtoon to the team!

PBR Champion Justin McBride to Compete

October 23, 2013 By Admin

Two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride has accepted an exemption invitation to compete in the bull riding event during RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN, presented by Polaris RANGER, on March 2, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The exemption invitation allows McBride to return to the sport he dominated for 10 years (1999 – 2008) while competing on the PBR Built Ford Tough Series. It gives him a guaranteed spot on the 17-man roster for the bull riding competition where he’ll compete once again alongside the best in the sport.

McBride was the first Western sports athlete to top more than $5 million in career earnings when he retired from the PBR in 2008.

“THE AMERICAN gives me the opportunity to compete for $2 million against the best guys in the sport.” said McBride. “It’s just a one-day event; so I can continue to spend time with my family and work on my music career while returning to the arena to experience the thrill of competing.”

McBride is the second athlete selected by THE AMERICAN’s sanctioning bodies as one of the limited exemptions. Dan Mortensen was recently given an exemption in saddle bronc competition. Additional exemptions will be announced leading up to March 2, 2014.

“Fans want to see the best, and no fan of bull riding can argue with Justin’s career achievements. He had a phenomenal career, winning more than $5.2 million and two World Championships. He was one of the most popular bull riders ever in the PBR,” said Randy Bernard, Rural Media Group CEO and president. “A sport doesn’t make a legend, a legend makes a sport; and Justin did exactly that. PBR’s great success is partly due to his success, and March 2 will definitely be a historical day for the sport of rodeo and AT&T Stadium.”

RFD-TV recently announced THE AMERICAN will take place on March 2, 2014, at the AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. With a $2 million payout, it will be the richest one-day rodeo in history. Of the qualifiers, the Top-five winners in each rodeo event at the semifinals will advance to compete in THE AMERICAN against the Top-10 winners at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

“For me, Justin’s return to bull riding is another element that makes THE AMERICAN a must see event,” said Ty Murray, nine-time PRCA world champion and PBR co-founder. “This is a legend that retired in his prime, and I’m not going to miss the chance to see how much gas he has left in the tank.”

“When Justin retired he was the best bull rider in the PBR, and I don’t think he’ll be far from that mark when he comes back to compete for THE AMERICAN,” said Cody Lambert, vice president and livestock director of the PBR. “I really think he has a legitimate chance to win it.”

RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN is being closely coordinated with PBR’s Iron Cowboy V, which will take place the day before THE AMERICAN on March 1, 2014 at AT&T Stadium. Combined, the events are expected to bring more than 100,000 fans and participants to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“The PBR Iron Cowboy has enjoyed much success at AT&T Stadium over the last four years. It’s the premier arena in the world and a fitting venue at which to showcase the best PBR athletes and rodeo athletes in the world,” said Jim Haworth, chairman and CEO of the Professional Bull Riders. “March 1-2 has the potential to be the most significant weekend in the history of the PBR and rodeo.

“The Iron Cowboy V is the only bracketed-style event on the Built Ford Tough Series and pits the cowboys in a head-to-head competition with not only the bulls, but also the other riders. Its intense competitiveness is the perfect lead-in to THE AMERICAN. On Sunday afternoon when Justin sits on his first bull and nods his head, it will be a great day for the PBR and THE AMERICAN and a rare opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.”

Tickets for RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN, presented by Polaris RANGER, and the Iron Cowboy V are on sale at the AT&T Stadium Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations and at americanrodeo.com. Prices for each event range from $20 to $150, not including taxes.

Additionally, tickets for THE AMERICAN semifinals in Mesquite, Texas, Feb. 22-23, 2014, are available for $14, $20 and $30, not including taxes. They can be purchased at the Mesquite Arena’s box office and at americanrodeo.com.